By Maurice GandyMobile Press-RegisterFebruary 02, 2009 Mobilian takes cultural exchange groups to the Middle East. Yusef Maisonet’s adult life has been a journey, literally and spiritually, around the world. He was born Jose Maisonet in New York City in the early 1950s, the son of Puerto Rican parents who had moved there from their native […]
Category: Misc
Islam within the Latino Community
By Hjamil A Martínez-Vázquez From “Hispanic American Religious Cultures.” pp 306-309. 2009. Within the Latino community, there are Hispanic Muslims. Although figures are obscure, and while some estimates range from a low of 20,000 to a high of 200,000, the latest and most conservative estimates by Islamic groups and leaders state that there are between […]
‘New Muslim Cool’
By Ginia BellafanteThe New York TimesJune 23, 2009 Islam, Hope and Charity Inspire Dealer Turned Rapper “New Muslim Cool,” a film by Jennifer Maytorena Taylor, is not a documentary about Muslim style, Muslim clubs or Muslim power cliques rising out of New York or Los Angeles as an emerging entertainment force. Aesthetically, the film, to […]
The Latino Crescent: Latinos make a place for themselves in Muslim America
By Lyndsey MatthewsThe Brooklyn RailSeptember 5, 2009 Ponce de Leon Federal Bank, Pan Con Todo restaurant, and the Made In Colombia boutique line the sidewalk on Bergenline Avenue, which runs through the center of Union City, New Jersey. Flags from Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic hang proudly in storefronts. Miniature Honduran flags dangle […]
In the Name of Allah
By Margaret RamirezCafé MagazineJuly 8, 2009 Inside the Parkway Ballroom on Chicago’s South Side, a small crowd of young Latino Muslims is grooving to hip-hop beats, bonded by background and religious beliefs. Soon hip-hop singer Liza Garza takes the stage, a striking blend of Muslim and Latina. Her head is wrapped in a violet kerchief, […]
Who are Latino Muslims?
By Juan Galvan Islamic Horizons MagazineJuly/August 1429/2008, Pp 26-30. Any discussion of Latino Muslims is tri-dimensional: Latinos, Muslims and Latino Muslims. Who are Latinos? Who are Muslims? Who are Latino Muslims? Disagreements abound about the meaning of each dimension. However, attempts to answer these questions lead to others and, consequently, a better understanding of Latino […]
In a New Light – New faith, changed man
By Lindsay WiseThe Houston ChronicleJune 13, 2008 Mujahid Fletcher runs a nonprofit that produces multimedia items designed to educate Latino Muslims about Islam Oscar Gomez was hanging out with old friends at a barber shop in Alief when they asked him if he’d seen his buddy Jaime Fletcher lately. “No, I haven’t seen him,” Gomez […]
NSU Lecture Explores Islamic, Hispanic Connection
By Lisa BolivarMiami HeraldOctober 5, 2008 An event that was part of NSU’s Hispanic festival explored the ways Islamic culture has influenced the Latin world. Yusuf Mendez had a message about his heritage he wanted to share and he got the opportunity during a celebration of cultural unity at Nova Southeastern University in Davie. While […]
Latina converts look for answers in Islam
By Pilar ConciColumbia News ServiceMay 27, 2008 Increasing numbers of Latinas are converting to Islam, for love, faith and, some say, a sense of respect. But some find acceptance from family and friends is harder to come by. When Beatriz Kehdy was growing up in Sao Paulo, Brazil, she felt uncomfortable with the standards of […]
Spanish-Speaking Muslims Find a Home
By Sameera IqbalABC NewsJune 13, 2008 Hispanic Family in N.J. Makes Leap of Faith From Catholicism to Islam A common misconception about Islam is that all Muslims come from the Middle East. In fact, there are an estimated 6 million Muslims living in America. Not only do they come from all corners of the world, […]